When was the last time you checked your crawlspace? It has probably been a while. Many people have no idea what a crawl space is and what the purpose of one is. The primary purpose of a crawl space is to promote air circulation through the home and allow easy access to plumbing, electrical, maintenance, repair, and installation needs. If a homeowner goes down to their crawl space and find traces of mold or a musty smell, panic sets in. If your crawl space has mold, you are dealing with two problems: the mold itself and the source – which means you probably have a moisture problem.
If you have a major mold outbreak, you should call in a mold removal specialist. At this point, the problem is too big for you to handle on your own. For smaller traces of mold, you can probably handle clean up yourself. Before you even start, make sure you have the proper clothing on – masks, gloves, and protective clothing. When going into an enclosed space, especially, you want to make sure you are not breathing in mold spores.
It is not the mold itself that’s bad for you – it’s the buildup of toxic spores that get into the air. Once these spores are airborne in an environment that allows them to thrive, the mold multiplies quickly and emits more spores. This concentration of spores is what becomes harmful to your health. Even if you’re a perfectly healthy person though, you should be cautious. Like smoking, inhaling mold spores can take weeks, months, or even years before you see the effects.
In order to get rid of the mold you must first install an exhaust fan that will take the air from the crawl space or basement and exit the living space of the house. This prevents cross-contamination with the rest of the home. Once you have the exhaust fan in place you can use a biodegradable moldicide applied with a sprayer. Once the mold is wet then you will need to scrub it to remove it and then rinse the area with warm soapy water. It is not recommended to use the fogging machines as a means to remove mold. These fogging machines simply spray a mist of and antibacterial solution which can kill the mold. When you go to sell your home and a home inspector sees the mold he cannot tell if it’s dead or alive therefore there will be questions and pictures brought up in his inspection report which generally scare away potential customers. It is our recommendation to make sure that you remove the stains as best as possible To prevent potential homebuyers from being scared away from your home.
When you remove the mold and you don’t fix the source, the mold will return. It is our recommendation that a crawl space be completely encapsulated so that you can control the temperature and humidity in the crawlspace. We want to treat this area just like if it were a small basement. A vented crawl space is the main reason for mold growth. Vented crawlspaces allows the humid air to enter the crawl space and condensate on the wood surfaces which then creates the mold and wood destroying fungus. Once the crawl space is sealed with a Vapor barrier covering the earth and a proper vapor barrier on the foundation walls then you can install a dehumidifier to control the humidity.
Mold remediation is far less expensive than dealing with long term health problems. Why risk it? Here at Crawlspaces and More, we offer free inspections and solutions that are less expensive than you would imagine. We are proud to provide mold removal services for your home or business. We don’t just kill the mold – our goal is to completely remove all types of mold from your crawl space or basement and prevent it from recurring. By using a safe mixture of biodegradable cleaning agents and our proprietary application method, we are able to service your home in a way others can’t. For more information, contact us! Sources:
• Concrobium
• Your Crawlspace
Recent Comments